GROVETOWN, Ga. (WJBF)– A local high school graduate who was told he wasn’t good enough to play varsity baseball is sharing his success story. Addison Carroll graduated from Grovetown High School in May. He had a dream — to play college baseball, and Sunday, that dream came true. But for him, the journey wasn’t easy.

“They hit me, but I got right back up, and now I’m about to go play college baseball,” Carroll said.

St. Andrews University in North Carolina gained a new pitcher Sunday: Addison Carroll. Family and friends gathered in support of his college signing. Carroll said he couldn’t have done it without his mom, Nancy Mitchum.

“He is not supposed to be here. He is my miracle baby. He proved me wrong. I didn’t think he could pull it off, but he did. And I’m very, very proud of him because he’s had a lot of obstacles stand in his way,” Mitchum explained.

Carroll said he walked in his junior year of high school knowing he would be playing varsity ball. Much to his surprise, that wasn’t the case.

“There’s going to be people that don’t help you succeed. That’s what this coach did,” Carroll said.

“When your child tries out junior year, and he is the only non-returner that didn’t make the team, it kind of makes you wonder,” Mitchum added.

After finding out the news, Addison said he moped around some, but not for long.

“I was like ‘Alright, let me prove them wrong.’ So then I came back, worked my butt off the next year. Then senior year, didn’t make it again. That really killed me then, too,” Carroll admitted.

He said, still, he didn’t quit. He played on Junior Varsity his senior year, and it only made him stronger.

“God– he helped me through everything. The bible– the week after I got cut, I was in my bible every night trying to find some kind of hope,” Carroll said.

He knows there are many others facing similar problems, but he wants to bring hope to people who feel like giving up.

“There’s always going to be people in your life that are going to try to test you, say you’re not good enough, not strong enough, not big enough. But that’s not the point– it’s how you take it and how you come back. Now it just shows you don’t have to play Varsity to make it into college,” Carroll said.

Carroll said he received a $14,000 scholarship to St. Andrews for sports, and on top of that, got an academic scholarship. He said all of his schooling is paid for and is excited to start his college baseball career.